Road grader



June 29, 1943. F. E. ARNDT 2,323,109

ROAD GRAD ER Original Filed March'l2, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNl/slv-rok FRANKLIN E. ARND'I;

June 29, 1943. g E, ARNm'r 2,323,109

ROAD GRADER Original Filed March 12, 1940 .3 Sheets-SheetZ Mil v ggg' m mammuuummmmuumuu Ffy. 8

[Ni EN TOR .FRANKLIN E. ARN D1;

F. E. ARNDT June. 29, 1943.

ROAD QHADER Original Filed March 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 h 3 d 1|- Q Q J\\- m n. m .o Wm Tm @wA WW mm 0% in or mm rm NAT UT 8 8 WW /NVE'N7'OR-' FRANKLIN EARND'I;

Patented June 29, 1943 Franklin Arndt; Galion, ome. assignor to; The Galion Iron Works & Maniifa'ctiiring Company,

a corporation of Ohio Original applicationMarch'm, 1 940;. Serial No. 323,586. (Divided and this application May 1,

1941, Serial No. 391,369

1 Claim. gel. sa l-56) the main frame to a steep bank cutting position at either side thereof.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations be ing set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. land 2, placed end to end, show a side elevation of the road grader embodying myimprovements;

Fi 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a sectionalplan view taken on the line 4'-4 ofFig.1'.

As shown in Fig. 2, the main supporting frame I5 is upwardly arched and is supported at its rear end on its wheels l6 and at its front end on the wheels l1 (Figs. 1 and 3). The frame l5 comprises spaced-apart longitudinal side beams I8, 18, and as shown in Fig. 2 these spaced-apart side beams are connected by the tubular cross braces I9, and 2|. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the front and rear wheels are preferably of metal so that the rims thereof will be sufficiently thin to be able to dig into th road surface when the wheels are leaned in such direction as to resist lateral skidding when the moldboard is in steep bank-cutting position, and under operation by movement of the whole machine along the roadway.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings includes mechanism for the steering of the front wheels, the leaning of the front wheels, the leaning of the rear wheels, the shifting of the rear end of the main frame laterally relatively to the rear wheels, the shifting of the moldboard laterally and movement thereof to bank sloping position, and the adjustment and locking of the circle. All of the controls extend to a single cperators station or platform 22 at the rear end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2. Although I have shown in the accompanying drawings a pull type of road working machine comprising a tongue 23 to the .front end of which is adapted to be connected a pulling tractor, it should be understood that my improvements hereinafter described are also useful in a power grader comprising a power plant connected to the'rear traction whens'ror 'moving the entire mac inearongthercacway; 1

Thedrawbai 81' asshcwn'iin Figs. 1- and 2, comprlses'a narrow elongated'front end82 connected by anjintermedi'ate curved portion to a rear horizontal fr shaped frame which carries the circle '83. As shownihFig. 2,1 the drawb'ar may comprise two angle irons weld'je'd together' with their horizontarfianges'at the bottom so that a plate 85may be" welded along the upper edges of the angle ironsand' slotted at its forward end portionto slide'dcwnpyer and be welded to the vertical legscf'the" angleirons. V

Thefront end-ofthedrawbar is provided with a universal connection to the steering post 50.

The lower end:cf'the'steeringppost 5B is provided with a plate which-ls adapted to rest on the circular su port 81 atthe upper end of the cap "42-'0f the "bolster whichis secured-to the front axle 29-by'means or the channels 38, 39, as shown in Fig. 3. Passing through the sides of the steering post 50 a short distance above the plate 86 are the legs of a U-bolt 88, the free ends of which are threaded to receive the nuts 89, 89. The U- bolt 88 interloops the eye-bolt 90 the forward end of which is adapted to fit into an arcuate recess 9|, as shown in Fig. 4. The rear end of the eye-bolt 90 is provided with a shank 92 which is swiveled in the socket 93 which is secured to the bottom of the front end of the drawbar. The rear end of the shank 92 is threaded at 94 to receive a nut 95 which may be locked in adjusted position with the flange 96 on the shank 92 resting against the forward end of the socket 93. It will thus be seen by referring to Figs. 1 and 4 that the drawbar 8| may. turn on its swiveled connection at 92, 93 relatively to the steering post 5|] and moreover the drawbar 8| may swing laterally upon an upright axis at 9| along the U-bolt 88. Furthermore, the drawbar 8! may swing up and down while the eye-bolt 90 is pivoted on the U-bolt 88 and in the arcuate recess 9|.

It should be particularly noted that the lateral walls of the arcuate recess 9| confine the eyebolt 90 to predetermined positions relative to the U-bolt 88. In other words, the upright, arcuate grooved bearing 9| confines the eye-bolt 90 to pivotal and circular movements relatively to the post 50 by maintaining the forward end of the eye in a predetermined position relative to the post. The upright grooved bearing 9| may be formed by integral extensions at the rear of the post. The rear ends of such extensions may even be engaged by the inner surface of the U-bolt 88 to prevent the latter from clamping the eye 90. It will thus be seen that the flexible connection between the front end of the drawbar and the post 50 is such that the eye-bolt 90 may have lateral swinging movements on a fixed vertical axis relative to the post and may also have upright rotary movements, the front end of the eye memher being movable also on upright arcs tangential to such vertical axis. Considering the U-bolt 88 as a clevis, it may be said that the eye 90 interloops such clevis for flexibly connecting the front end f the drawbar 8| to the post 50 and that the structure 9! of the upright arcuate groove constitutes mechanism on the post in position to act as an abutment to limit movement of the clevis when secured thereto and that such abutment mechanism is provided with an upright groove to receive the eye of the eye-bolt 90 to confine the latter to lateral swingin movements and to upright circular movements relatively to the post.

It should be particularly noted that the steering post 58 is rigidly, connectedtothe forward ends of the channel beams l8, l8 and therefore to the forward end of the main frame. The universal connection at the forward end of the drawbar 8| is therefore in reality connected to the front end of the main frame and the parts are so closely related that no relative vibration between them is possible irrespective of the various high lift grading positions to which the grader blade has been adjusted.

The recess 9! is therefore an important feature because it confines the eye-bolt 90 against vibration relative to the U-bolt 88 andyet the desired universal connection is maintained. It should also be noted by referring to Figs. 1 and 3 that great flexibility between' the steering unit and the main frame isprovided for the travel of the steering unit over irregular ground surfaces but nevertheless the drawbar 8| may always be maintained in rigid connection to the main frame during grading operations and bank sloping operations.

This application is filed as a division of my co-pending application S. N. 323,586, filed March various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claim hereto appended, and I therefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A road grader comprising the combination with a vehicle frame, of a post at the front end thereof, a clevis secured to said post; drawbar mechanism comprising an eye interlooping said clevis for flexibly connecting the front end of said drawbar to said post, and mechanism on the post in position to act as an abutment to limit movement of said clevis relatively t said post when secured thereto, said abutment mechanism being provided with an upright. groove to receive said eye and to confine the latter to lat eral swinging movements and upright circular movements relatively to said post. V

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT. 

